Loss of Reggie?
by VUWildcat
Summary: What's wrong with Reggie? When a misunderstanding arises, some believe that more is wrong with her than meets the eye. Will the truth be revealed before false rumors turn out of control?
1. Summertime Sickness

Hey Guys! Got another fan-fic to try out.

I'm in the middle of finals right now so this is my diversion and my Winter Break project.

The Usual Disclaimer: Rocket Power is a registered trademark of Klasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon. I possess no ownership in the show (although I'd really like to in light of all Nick has done in deceiving RP fans with false scheduling).

NOTE: This fan-fic is based on one I read on Nick.com's message boards a few years ago. It has since been purged from the system. Although there are a few parts that I remember quite vividly and will be pretty true to the original story, this will not be an exact copy of that fan-fic. I have discovered that the author has since migrated to FanFiction.net. So thanks Blemery for the inspiration.

Enjoy.

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_Please disregard any previous fan-fics I have written. The gang isn't any older than they are on the show (in this story)._

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**Chapter 1 - Summertime Sickness**

It was another usual, sunny day in the busy oceanside town of Ocean Shores, California. Being the end of June, the town was bustling with tourists--"shoobies," as the locals called them. Some days, it was so crowded that one could barely walk from the boardwalk to the ocean without dodging dozens of umbrellas, towels, and sunbathing adults.

Although they often disliked the sudden increase in the local population, especially near the ocean, the local children found this time of year to be one of their favorites. The reason: school had just let out and a long two-month long summer awaited them. No homework, no tests, and no detention until September. Everyone was free to skate, surf, and chill out to their hearts' content. One particular group of youth, who lived in a cul-de-sac overlooking the town's picturesque boardwalk and pier, also anticipated the nearly endless free time they would have. There was so much for Otto and Reggie Rocket, and their friends, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez and Sam "Squid" Dullard, to do: play street hockey, skate at Madtown, the local skatepark, and hit the waves to prepare for the summer's many surf contests. Yes, the group of 4 friends couldn't be happier at this time of year.

But this summer was different from the others, especially for Reggie. Yes, she was the only girl in the group of males, but she never let that difference limit her in any way. She could always match or top almost any boy in any sport she wanted to. Despite having lost the only female figure in her life, her mother, several years ago, she was as strong as ever. However, the past few months had not been going real smoothly for the 12-year-old star. On and off, she had been experiencing a very sore throat. Sometimes, she would even spike a fever, indicating the presence of a disease that often plagued school-age children at one point or another: strep throat. While one occurrence of this disease would not usually cause any alarm beyond a need for a few days of antibiotics, the fact that she was having relapses set off a red flag. Towards the end of the year, she was out of school several times, requiring Sam to often collect homework and class notes for her. He knew she probably had strep throat, but didn't think much else of it. Otto and Twister noticed as well, but didn't think it was anything other than strep throat either. Besides, she still tried to maintain her normal regiment of extreme sports whenever she wasn't too sick to venture outside. As long as she could go out with the guys, they were cool with it and even stayed behind to cheer her up when she couldn't go with them.

As the pain continued, inhibiting Reggie's ability to eat and to speak clearly, Reggie realized that something was definitely wrong with her. Sometimes, her throat was so sore, she wanted to cry in frustration and pain. This wasn't just strep throat anymore. The question was, then, what was it? Her father, Ray, also became concerned. A persistently raspy voice and sore throat had to mean something was truly wrong with his beloved daughter. He called her pediatrician and, at her suggestion, called an ENT specialist _(A/N: ENT means Ear, Nose, and Throat)_. Reggie and Ray went to her appointment together the next day while Otto, Twister, and Sam stayed behind at the Rockets' house. A few hours later, they heard the door open.

"Hey guys, Reggie's back. Hope she's OK," Otto commented to his friends, who were busily battling each other in a game of_ Worms Armageddon_. The only question that plagued his mind was, "I wonder why that took so long?" He figured he'd find out soon enough, though.

"Yo, O-Man. Think you can check on her for us? We'll come down when we're done," Twister replied.

"OK, dude. Take your time," Otto answered as he left his room and walked towards the stairs. However, what he heard downstairs made him freeze in his tracks and stand at the top of the stairs, hiding and listening in horror.

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If you know what's wrong with Reggie, please don't write the answer in your reviews. In order for this story to make sense, it can't be revealed until just the right time.

I know this chapter's short, but I wanted to start the story. I'll update as soon as I can--like I said, I have finals soon, and those come first.

Besides, short chapters allow for cliffhangers ;)


	2. Over in a Second

**Chapter 2 - Over in a Second**

A/N: Hey thanks for the reviews. I'll go ahead and relieve some of the suspense :)

By the way, the asterisks indicate a shift of scene. 

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Reggie and Raymundo were obviously having some discussion about the trip to the doctor. The news had not been real good and both were debating the decision she had made during the visit.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Princess? It sounded like the doctor had some other less drastic options," Ray inquired of his daughter.

Reggie replied in her raspy voice. It was becoming harder and harder for her to speak for long periods of time. "Dad, do you know how it feels to wake up morning after morning, feeling like you couldn't survive the day? We have to do this! Besides, it sounds like those other options might not work as well."

"I don't know, Reggie. I still don't know how you have the guts to go through with this. Nobody in our family's ever had to go through with something this serious, except your mother. I mean, you've never even had a single broken bone (knock on wood!). Aren't you scared?" Ray asked.

"Raymundo, you heard what the doctor said. One quick second, a little pinch, and then, boom..."

"Boom?"

"Boom...no more pain."

"I guess you're right, sweetheart," Ray admitted. "It'll all be over before you know it."

"Besides, it can't be any worse than living with this," Reggie added.

"OK. I guess we know what's going on Saturday morning," her concerned father commented. "The doctor said 8AM, right?"

By this time, Reggie's throat was so painful from all the speaking that she couldn't say another word. Instead, she nodded.

"Hang in there, Rocket Girl. I know you can. Why don't you lie down on the couch and I'll make a milkshake for you."

Reggie nodded and smiled slightly at Ray's suggestion. She rested her head on a pillow and turned on the TV to watch her favorite channel while Ray disappeared in to the kitchen.

********************

As Otto listened to the conversation, every word made his heart feel heavier and heavier. His breathing became heavy and his face lost most of its usual color.

"This can't be happening," Otto thought as reality sunk in. Was his older sister, the one who helped him whenever he was in trouble and was right by his side during all of his triumphs, dying? He had already lost his mother when he was very young; he didn't want to lose Reggie, too. Sure, he sometimes fought with his sister, as most siblings do, but he still loved her.

Maybe he should have ran downstairs to confirm with his sister and dad what he had heard, but his emotions overrode any reason he had. He ran back to his room and threw the door open. Tears were welling up in his eyes as Twister and Sam stared at him in confusion.

"What's going on?" Sam inquired, obviously concerned about the look on Otto's face.

"It's Reggie. She and Raymundo were talking downstairs. It...it doesn't sound good," Otto replied.

"What do you mean?" Twister curiously asked.

"She was talking about being in lots of pain. It sounds like something's going to happen to her because she said 'One quick second, a little pinch, and then boom...'"

"BOOM?" Sam and Twister looked at each other with a puzzled expression.

Otto couldn't take it any more. As tears began to fall from his eyes, he continued in a low, emotional voice, "'No more pain.' Raymundo said it would all be over before she knew it"

Twister, being his normal self, added, "Does this mean someone's going to hit her over the head?"

"No. They're going to...going to...put her to sleep...just like a dog!" Otto cried.

"Otto, that's impossible. They wouldn't do that to Reggie, let alone any young person. She just can't be that sick," Sam assured his friend, although he himself looked as if he were in denial.

"That's what I heard. I swear!" Otto rebutted.

"Oh my gosh. Poor Reggie. She's so young. Why are they taking her away?" Twister began to ask, also looking ready to cry.

"Guys, I know you feel like a 10-ton truck just fell on you, but I think we need to talk to Raymundo or Reggie about this," Sam quickly added. Despite his concern that they were possibly right, his reason was still as sharp as ever. An investigation needed to be conducted before this could be assumed true.

"OK. Just give me a second to calm down. I don't want Reggie to see me like this. We can't make her any more scared than she must be right now," Otto replied.

Once they were ready, they left Otto's room and made their way to the stairs. They knew what they were about to ask would confirm or disprove their worst fears. 

Unfortunately, they had just missed a crucial conversation between Ray and Reggie, which contained a very important piece of information that Otto had not heard.

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Sorry, had to make another cliffhanger.

Again, please don't say anything about what's happening to Reggie if you have figured it out already. Otherwise, you'll know soon enough (next chapter to be exact).

Also, sorry that the chapter may make references to putting pets to sleep. I know it's a very sad experience for the owners, but the situation works well here.


	3. The Unknown Secret

**Chapter 3 - The Unknown Secret**

A/N: I'll try to make these chapters a little longer.

The truth is revealed--at least to us. Not to Otto, Twister, and Sam, though.

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While Otto and the others were discussing what he had heard, Ray emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tall glass with an ever-famous Shack Shake in it. To make it extra special for his princess "in distress," he added a mountain of whipped cream and a cherry on the top. Reggie smiled as she saw Ray bring his creation in to the living room and set it down on the surfboard table. 

No matter what anyone else said, Ray knew how to make a female happy, Reggie thought. It was hard to believe that he had not started dating for 5 years. Sure, it was hard to replace their mother, who brought so much joy to their lives, but as Reggie discovered, life had to go on. In fact, she was happy that Ray was showing interest in the Sunset Surf clothing rep, Breezy, who often poked her head in Ray's shop whenever she was in town. Although Reggie was not clairvoyant, she knew that Ray and Breezy went well together and that, hopefully, their relationship would someday blossom.

"Thanks, Dad," Reggie said softly. She had finally regained a little of her strength to speak and the pain had subsided somewhat, especially after the pain killers that the doctor prescribed had taken effect.

"No problem, Rocket Girl," Ray replied. He leaned down and gave his daughter a big hug, then sat down next to her. "You know, I've been very lucky to have had two very brave women in my life," Ray continued. "When your mother was diagnosed with cancer, although she was definitely upset, she vowed that it would never get in her way of taking care of you two guys. She was as active as she could be up until her final days, no matter how weak chemotherapy and radiation made her. I could tell she wasn't scared; no, she was determined, and although she accepted her eventual fate, as hard as it was, she never let it affect her life until then. You are definitely just like your mother."

"Dad, I'm not that sick. I'm only having my tonsils removed," Reggie reminded him, as she could tell he was a little worried.

"I know, but after all that happened to your mom, it's made me think of all the visits to the hospital we had to make and everything they did to her," Ray reminisced sadly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Not if I can help it!" Reggie confidently asserted. "Besides, one good thing is that I get to eat all the ice cream I want afterwards."

"You always know how to look at the positives, Reg. I wish I had your ability," Ray admitted. Then pausing, "I know you are really strong, but tell me, aren't you a bit scared?"

Reggie took a sip of her shake and thought about her father's question. He was right. She had a tough exterior, but deep down inside, she was only human. She was a little scared. She had never been in the hospital for any reason (except for when she was born). Would she feel anything? What would it be like being put under by anesthesia? How would it feel to have a huge stitched opening down her neck afterwards? How long would it take before she completely recovered? Realizing her thoughts about the uncertain, she nodded her head.

"Don't worry, I'll be there right by your side," Ray assured her. That made her smile as his words brought her some comfort.

Squeezing her hand, Ray got up. "Well, I better get back to the Shack and help Tito out. You know how it goes: the moment I leave, things get crazy down there. You remember Beach Break, don't you?"

Reggie grinned. How could the famous "Good 2 Go" reporter forget that wild week? Ray and Tito made tons of money from selling "hotdurgers," cheese fries, and drinks that week, but they were completely wiped by the time all was said and done. They were so tired that they closed up the Shack for 2 weeks and traveled down to Baja California to catch some incredible waves. Those were the days, and Reggie couldn't wait until this whole ordeal was all over so she could have fun without having to worry about the pain that constantly bothered her.

Ray walked out the door, waving as he closed it. Reggie swallowed some more of her shake. It was still kind of painful, and all the talking she had done wasn't making things better. She turned her attention back to the television.

*******************

As Otto, Twister, and Sam were heading to the steps, they heard the door close. They knew that Ray was probably heading back to the Shore Shack. That did not surprise them.

Sam objected to asking Reggie what was going on, thinking that Raymundo would be a better source of information. However, since he had just left, his curiosity caused him to give in to the wishes of his friends. They all walked down the steps to the living room where Reggie was watching cartoons.

"Hey Reg," Sam blurted as they walked around the couch in to her view.

Reggie smiled back. She figured that it would be hard for them to understand her raspy and soft voice, so she didn't even try to talk to them. It did make her happy, though, to see her friends. She knew she could always count on them, no matter what.

"How are you feeling?" Otto asked. Reggie's body language--one hand on her throat and a frown on her face--gave Otto an answer that he'd rather not have heard. He then continued, "Listen, Reg, I was upstairs and I overheard your conversation with Raymundo about what's happening to you. Is all that true?"

Reggie nodded in reply. She had wanted to break the news to them directly with Ray around, but it was obvious that that was now impossible. The three boys gasped in amazement at her response. What Otto had heard must have been true--her days with them were numbered. Otto and Twister wanted to break down and cry right then and there, but they didn't want to make Reggie feel any worse than she was already. So they kept solemn faces but hid their emotions. Sam didn't appear to be as emotional; he was still skeptical, but he couldn't tell if what he felt was the result of rational doubt or emotional denial.

"Aren't you scared, Reggie?" Twister asked.

Reggie wanted to deny her fears verbally so that they wouldn't think any differently of her, but she didn't feel like speaking. Then she came up with an idea that would minimize the amount of speaking that she would have to do. She grabbed the reporter's pad and pen out of her pocket and wrote down her response: "Not really. I'm Rocket Girl. What do you expect?"

When Twister read it, he was amazed. "Man, you're brave. Isn't it going to hurt?" Reggie shrugged her shoulders in reply.

"Well, sis, we're all pulling for you," Otto told her, trying to keep his composure.

Sam, still unsure of what was actually going on, suggested, "In the meantime, we want to keep you as comfortable as possible. It's no fun seeing you like this. How about we go to Madtown and try to forget about all this for now?"

Reggie smiled. The last thing she wanted to do was let the impending surgery impede on her. She really wanted to get out and do what she loved to do.

"Why don't you go get ready and we'll meet you down here," Twister said.

Reggie nodded, took her last sip of her milkshake, and got up, heading to the stairs. When she left, Otto let loose. He couldn't take it anymore. His tear ducts opened as if they were flood gates trying to hold back a tsunami. Not wanting Reggie to come down and see her brother's condition, Sam asked Twister to take Otto downstairs in an attempt to comfort him. In the meantime, he would take Reggie to Madtown, saying that the other two would catch up shortly.

Shortly after the basement door closed, Reggie walked downstairs, roller blades in hand. She had a puzzled look on her face. Sam knew exactly what she was thinking: "Where were Otto and Twister?"

"Oh, uh, Otto and Twister. They, uh...uh...went to his house! Mrs. Rodriguez wanted to see Twister so Otto said they would catch up with us."

Reggie nodded and the two left the house on the way to Madtown.

"So this is how it's going to end?" Sam pondered as he looked at his best friend.

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I love the dramatic irony in this story. The lack of clear communication between Reggie and the boys allows them to think she's dying. When will they discover the truth? Will the truth come before Reggie goes in to surgery? Find out soon. 


	4. Ripping Up Madtown

**Chapter 4 - Ripping Up Madtown**

A/N: These next few chapters may take a while since I don't remember much from the original story and want to drag this out in to as many chapters as possible.

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Sam and Reggie entered the boardwalk and finally arrived at Madtown. For Reggie, riding on her roller blades, taking in the always-breathtaking view of the endless coast and feeling the ocean air whip her hair around made her temporarily forget the pain she was still in and the upcoming surgery. As long as she was with her friends and keeping busy, she didn't care about anything else. She had to let the regular Reggie shine through. Besides, she figured that they were as nervous as she was, for nobody else she knew had experienced something like this. The boys seemed to take the news well; however, there was something about Otto that didn't seem right. But she just couldn't put her finger on it, so for now, she just shrugged it off. She would have never expected what Otto and Twister were doing at that moment.

*****************

After 10 minutes of non-stop crying, Otto finally got a hold of himself. He realized that it was no sense crying now. Besides, Reggie needed him right now. She probably needed him more than ever, he thought. For her sake, he had to be strong. There would be plenty of time for crying after Saturday. In the meantime, he knew they had to help Reggie out during what would probably be her final days. After walking to the bathroom to clean his face, he picked up his blades and left with Twister. Normally, they would challenge each other to a little race. "Last person to Madtown is a lame-o," was the usual bet. However, in light of what they had heard, the usual challenge slipped their minds. Instead, they skated slowly down the hill towards the Pier. During the trip, they started talking about what they were going to do about Reggie.

"I just can't believe it, Twist. First my mother, then her," Otto stated in disbelief.

"Do you think anybody else knows about this?" Twister asked.

"Probably not," Otto replied. If Reggie had just found out today, then nobody else knew. He wondered if she would even tell anyone?

"Twist, we need to tell her friends. They definitely need to know. I think it's only proper that everyone be able to support her up until the last minute."

"Whatever you say, O-Man," replied his friend. Twister usually went along with whatever Otto decided to do, and this was no exception. Besides, Reggie was his friend. If he had thought of it, he'd have done the same thing. However, if it were his brother, Lars, who was dying, he wasn't sure what he'd do. After all the daily whompings and tricks, would he even want to tell Pi and the rest of his cronies? Thankfully, Twister didn't have to decide since that wasn't happening, and he was glad for that. But he felt terrible for his best friends: for Reggie, of course, and for Otto, who would be suffering another terrible loss. He hadn't been old enough to remember much about the death of Mrs. Rocket, but he knew that she was always in the back of Otto and Reggie's minds. 

With the support of his best bro, Otto laid out his plan. "OK. You call Trish, Sherry, and Cleo. I'll call Trent, Eddie, and Keoni tonight while I'm in my room. Remember, tell them not to say the d-word to her. We don't want her to feel any worse."

Twister nodded his head in agreement as the two passed under the landmark sign that signaled the beginning of The Pier.

******************

"There you guys are!" exclaimed Sam as the two boys entered the gates of Madtown.

"Let's tear this place up!" Otto declared. He had finally managed to control his emotions and one could not see through what appeared to be his usual enthusiasm.

"Hey, let's play Follow the Leader," Twister suggested. "Reggie, why don't you lead this time?"

Reggie saw right through them. They were obviously treating her differently because she was sick. She flipped out her reporter's pad and scribbled another note.

"Thanks, guys, but you really don't have to do that. You can lead, Otto. You usually love doing that," Sam read as she handed the slip of paper to him.

"No, sis. I insist. It's all you, Rocket Girl," Otto countered. It was no use. Otto always had to have his way, and her attempts to penetrate his "hard" head usually didn't work until it was too late. This was not a battle she wanted to pick, especially without the full use of her voice.

They started skating around the blader bowl, matching Reggie move-for-move. Reggie was quite amused with the whole idea of being the "leader." "No wonder Otto likes this so much," she thought especially as she caught Sammy out of the corner of her eye, wobbling and trying to keep up. Of course, she didn't want to say anything--yes her voice wasn't good enough, and Sam was her friend. Unlike Otto, she seldomly criticized the abilities of her friends.

Next, Reggie skated up and out of the bowl, making sure she got some "Japan air" _(A/N: in skater's terms, "Japan air" means an aerial move in which both legs are bent and one hand grabs the skate of the opposite leg)_, quite surprised that Sam nailed the move. He was definitely getting better with the frequent trips to Madtown.

She then moved on to the rail, grinding a short section perfectly. Of course, she'd grind more if she were using her skateboard. Sam almost lost his balance, but seemed determined not to fall down.

Then, without her saying a word, Otto, Twister, and Sam (in that order) grabbed on to each other's waists, forming a "congo line." She returned to the bowl and they skated around for a few minutes. Everything was perfect. That is, until Sam lost his balance when flying down from the edge of the bowl, plowing forward in to Twister. Like dominos, each kid crashed in to the other, creating a pile in which Reggie was squeezed on the bottom. Otto, realizing that they might be exerting more pain on his sister, ordered the other two to quickly get up. All three then offered their assistance to Reggie. She was surprised that all three guys were offering their hands at the same time, but figured their kindness must have been due to her upcoming tonsillectomy.

They continued to skate for several more hours until the sun finally began to set. Deciding to head for home, they left Madtown and headed back up the hill. It was surprisingly quiet, until Twister broke the silence.

"Hey guys. My mom said you guys were all welcome to come over for dinner. She's making her famous enchiladas."

Sam, licking his lips, inquired, "Is she making her hot chile sauce, too?"

"Yep. She made lots of it this time."

Normally, Reggie would have loved to enjoy Mrs. Rodriguez's excellent Mexican cooking. However, she didn't think her throat (or her stomach at this point) would tolerate it. So she shook her head, placing one hand on her throat.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Otto asked, fearing the worst.

Again, Reggie reached for her pad of paper and pen. She wrote out her response and flashed it at Otto and Twister.

"Oh. Don't worry, Reg. We have Jell-O and ice cream back home, and my mom will happily make some mashed potatoes for you," Twister replied.

Reggie nodded in agreement and smiled. Twister and Sam smiled back and Otto quietly breathed a sigh of relief as the four reached the cul-de-sac and headed for Twister's front door.

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Later that night, Otto and Twister executed their plan. They called each of Reggie's friends. Both boys received the same general responses. First, her friends laughed in denial, thinking that it was some kind of prank. Then when they were told about what Reggie had said, their laughter turned to shock. They knew Reggie had been sick, but that sick? They agreed not to talk to Reggie directly about her fate but to instead wish her the best and to make her final days the greatest ever.

Meanwhile, Sam sat in his room, looking through photo albums and old issues of Reggie's 'Zine, thinking how lonely he would be without her. Suddenly, the phone rang. Moments later, Mrs. Dullard came in to his room, handing the phone to Sam. It was Reggie.

"Reg? Why are you talking in your condition?" he asked with much concern.

"I just took my pain medication. Listen, Sammy, I need to ask you to do me a favor," she requested.

"Sure, anything. You can count on me!" Sam answered reassuringly.

"Will you come to the hospital with me on Saturday morning?" she asked. The next thing she heard was a thud. Sam had dropped the phone in shock.

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A/N: I'll stop here for now. More to come soon.


	5. Siblings' Day Out

**Chapter 5 - Siblings' Day Out**

Sorry about the lame title--couldn't think of anything better

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Thursday came rather quickly for Reggie. Unfortunately, in this case, it was a bad thing. She only had 48 hours until her surgery. She was still nervous deep down, but she maintained her brave composure. After all, the pain she was experiencing now was probably much worse than the pain she might feel after her tonsils came out. In fact, the pain was getting worse, so relief couldn't come too soon. In the meantime, Reggie tried her best to maintain a sense of normalcy in her life. She still went out as much as possible, although she wasn't as spunky as usual and didn't talk much. And, of course, there were the frequent drink and milkshake breaks at the Shack. The others didn't mind, though. After all, they enjoyed ice cream as much as the next kid.

The past two days had been a little odd. She hadn't mentioned her predicament to anybody yet, but it seemed that everyone was somehow finding out about her condition. First, her brother, Twister, and Sam overheard her conversation with Ray earlier that week. Then all of a sudden, she started receiving calls from other people. Trish and Sherry called the previous morning, expressing much sympathy and wishing her the best. It was funny though, but Reggie thought she heard muffled crying in the background. 

A few hours later, Keoni called from Hawaii. He sounded concerned, too. In addition to wishing her good luck, he said he'd come up to visit as soon as he could. Before he hung up, he said that he'd miss hanging with her and the gang, but he hung up before she could ask him what he meant by that.

Next, Reggie received an IM from Cleo. After catching up on the latest news, Cleo also sent her best wishes. The crying emoticons, however, surprised Reggie. However, she shrugged it off and continued to chat for a while longer until she felt tired enough to want to go to bed. 

The biggest surprise, however, happened Thursday morning when Reggie opened the front door to find a bouquet of roses in her name. When she opened up the card, she was surprised to find Trent's name on a sympathy card. "That was sweet of him. Maybe a little overboard, but sweet," she thought as she walked inside to find a vase. 

She thought that concern was OK, but why was everyone so sad that she was having minor surgery? Also, how did the news spread so quickly, especially without her help? The name Otto did come to mind, but she wasn't too mad, especially since he hadn't apparently created any trouble--just brought her some attention from her friends. Although she was very curious, she did not feel like putting a lot of energy in to the matter at that moment. Instead, she decided to wait until after her surgery to ask why everyone was so pessimistic. She had to laugh, though. Maybe everyone was more scared about the surgery than she was. Now she didn't feel so bad.

***********************

"Hey, Rocket Girl. Why don't you and I go and do something today? Just the two of us," Otto suggested at breakfast.

Reggie smiled back. To Otto, that definitely meant yes. "How about a little surf competition then a bike ride on the back trails?" he added. Obviously, Otto was in his normally competitive mood.

"Sure," Reggie replied hoarsely. The grin on her face implied that she was eager to accept her little brother's challenge.

After they finished their meal and changed in to their surfing gear, they left the house and skated down to the beach. Securing their skates in Ray's rental shop, they ran towards the ocean, stopping before placing their boards in the water. Giving each other a look that stated "Bring it on," they both hit the water at the same time.

Otto was the first to paddle up to the growing wave. While it wasn't as big as the waves he had always imagined of battling, it was about as good as anyone could get during an average summer in Ocean Shores. The height and curl of the wave were perfect. "No wave is anything I can't dominate," he thought as he stood up and found his balance on his board, with his sister right behind him. As usual, Otto's goal was to gain as much air as possible and to make very skillful moves. And, to nobody's surprise, he did just that. Reggie was right behind him all the way, matching almost every single move as they glided parallel to the wave. When the wave began to crest, both quickly and effortlessly exited and let the wave's remnants float under their boards as the two siblings rested. 

"OK, sis. Your turn to lead," Otto offered as the next wave began to form out in the water. The two siblings paddled out once more to take on the wave. Everything worked as well as it had the time before, and the two alternated leading the other, trying to outwit their sibling. Not surprisingly, neither one fell off during the whole challenge. The score was tied by the time Otto and Reggie decided to head out. They needed to break the tie, though, so they decided to attempt one more wave. Reggie was to lead. 

As the two caught the wave, Otto thought, "Oh man. This will probably be the last chance for her to beat me at surfing." As much as he loved to win, he knew that she would never be able to again. He suddenly shifted his balance and began to wobble. The shift did its job; Otto fell off seconds later. Reggie, glancing behind in response to the resulting splash, knew that Otto didn't usually lose that easily, especially since she hadn't tried anything he couldn't perform flawlessly. She exited the wave and waited for her brother to emerge. When he got back on his board, she gave him a glance of distrust.

"Look, Reg. I didn't lose on purpose. I was just....uh...thinking about something and was distracted," Otto quickly replied.

"Sure," Reggie retorted sarcastically as she splashed her brother, smiling the whole time.

***********************

After a fun day of surfing and biking, Reggie and Otto rode down to the Shack for dinner. They had played hard all day and were very tired. Nevertheless, they had lots of fun. To Reggie's surprise, she had won their little bike race as well. She was still suspicious that Otto was up to something. They were pretty close during the race, but he never tried to overtake her. He knew he would have tried at least once normally. Again, he insisted that he was just tired and that he hadn't lost on purpose. Reggie went along with his excuse, figuring that if he did have a motive for losing, she would find out soon enough.

While Otto ate his "usual"--a Shack cheeseburger with fries and a glass of chocolate milk, Reggie slowly picked at a chicken salad, applesauce, and a chocolate milkshake. Her throat still hurt enough that she didn't feel like the good-old burger and fries. After they helped Ray clean up, they left together, stopping to gaze at the beautifully-lit Pier, including its majestic Ferris wheel, as they headed back up the hill for home. As Otto looked back at the ocean, he began to think of Reggie. What would it be like with nobody to criticize his sometimes selfish attitude? What would it be like to not have someone he could talk to when he was in trouble, and who would always be there when he woke up and when he went to bed each night? Yeah, Ray would be there, but he was much older and, of course, he was a parent. Those were a parent's jobs. What set Reggie apart was her maturity, youth, and compassion. Without her, there would be a huge emptiness within him.

"Reggie, there's something I want you to know. I know I've been a jerk to you sometimes. OK, maybe more often than that. But the thing is, you've stuck by me regardless. That means a lot to me. I'm sorry for all the times I have made you feel angry, sad, or frustrated. And I want you to know that despite all the times that may have made you think otherwise, I love you. Always have and always will, no matter what happens to us. After all, you're my one and only sister."

Reggie was very moved by what her brother had just said. There was definitely more to him than his tough and obnoxious exterior. She gave her brother a long hug as they gazed at the setting sun over the Pacific. As they embraced, Otto began to think about how he would ever express his feelings for his sister in a eulogy.

***********************

Little did Otto know that Twister was pondering the same thing. He had known Reggie for all of his life (well at least as far as he could remember). She had become a part of him. In fact, he wondered if he wasn't even developing a crush on her. Well that wouldn't matter anyway, because he knew she would be gone in a little more than a day. As usual, Twister's brain caved in from the pressure and he had a hard time expressing his thoughts in a meaningful speech. He eventually fell asleep at his desk, on top of the random thoughts he had scribbled on a sheet of paper.

***********************

Sam, on the other hand, was still in denial. How could a very active 12-year-old go from a state of complete health to being on the verge of death without being sick to the point of belonging in an Intensive Care unit? His quest for the truth took him to the Internet. He began to browse various health sites, trying to figure out what was happening to Reggie. She couldn't have mono because she was still strong enough to go out with the guys and wasn't getting gravely ill in the process. While her mother had cancer, it was very unlikely that the type of cancer that claimed Mrs. Rocket would appear in an active preteen girl. Besides, she hadn't shown any classic symptoms of cancer treatment, including the loss of hair and, again, anemia (a.k.a. sluggishness). 

"What could it be?" he wondered as he began to eliminate serious (and sometimes fatal) diseases from the list of possibilities. He then focused on the symptoms she appeared to be having: frequent and painful sore throat, occasional fever. After he entered her symptoms in to one health website, several options appeared. Flu? Nope, the flu mainly hit in the winter. Cold? Yeah, some of the symptoms were classic, but why would she keep coming down with one cold after another? Finally, there was only one possibility left: strep throat. Now that was a common ailment. Upon further investigation, he discovered that a tonsillectomy was a possible treatment for recurring strep throat.

"OK, that explains her disease. But what could she have meant by being put out like a dog?" Then it hit him. They would probably have to use general anesthesia during the operation, which would temporarily put her to sleep so the operation would be completely painless and worry-free for her.

Once he placed the puzzle pieces together, Sam felt a sense of stupidity and relief. He was relieved that his best friend was in virtually no danger of dying and that he was going to witness nothing more than a commonplace operation. On the other hand, he felt ashamed that he had accepted Otto's interpretation of Reggie's conversation with Ray without checking the facts with the source herself. 

He had to set things straight in the morning. It was too late at night to call anyone, so he figured he'd tell the guys the good news the next day before things got out of hand. Little did he know that they already had and that the damage had already been done. 

-----------------------------

OK. I'll start working on the next chapter. I'll be busy on and off the next few days, so if I don't post the next chapter in time, Happy Holidays :)


	6. Tomorrow's Gonna Come too Soon

**Chapter 6 - Tomorrow's Gonna Come too Soon**

Ah, forget the notes (don't have anything to say). Here comes the action.

--------------------------

It was Friday, and the day the Rocket gang dreaded was only 24 hours away. Reggie was definitely not getting any better; her sore throat continued to bother her. The pain medication the doctor had given her helped a little, but not completely. Fortunately, a little chloraseptic spray helped dull the pain enough that she could fall asleep, although she still had difficulty as she was naturally a little nervous about her upcoming surgery.

Otto and Twister did not sleep as peacefully the past night. Both tossed and turned all night; neither could stop thinking about Reggie and their impending loss of a sister and friend. Both had nightmares about Reggie being snatched from their presence. 

********************

Otto's dream placed him in a hospital. The scene seemed very familiar. It should have been, as it was the same hospital that his mother had been in very frequently. He faced a long corridor lined with bare white walls, plastic chair rail (used as a support for those who are having difficulty walking), and white tile floors. It seemed to stretch on forever. Otto kept walking down the hall when he heard screams. Otto would know that tone of voice from a mile away: it was his sister's. He started running towards the source of the noise, but it seemed that he was never getting any closer. Finally, he arrived at Room 241. Upon reading the numbers, Otto's face turned pale; it was the same room number that his mother had been in during her_ last_ visit to the hospital. Otto forced the door open and froze in horror. There were two doctors standing there, trying to insert an IV in to her arm. Reggie was fighting vigorously to avoid the needle; Otto quickly figured out that the IV contained the drugs that would put her out of her misery. On the other side of the bed was Ray, just standing there in a black suit, encouraging Reggie to relax. "It'll all be over soon. I can't bear to see you suffer any more. Let the doctors do their job and there will be no more pain," he encouraged her. Finally, the doctors restrained her arm and inserted the needle.

"No!!!!!!!!!!" Otto cried. The doctors and Ray turned their heads toward Otto with looks of disapproval. One doctor snapped his fingers and a large man appeared behind Otto. He grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him out of the room.

"Come on, son. This is no place for a child to be. Let's go out to the waiting room," the man replied.

"Let go! Reggie! Rocket Girl! Don't leave me!" Otto yelled. Suddenly, he could hear a loud and rhythmic beat and a series of electronic "beeps". It was the sound of Reggie's heartbeat and the heart-rate monitor attached to her. Otto helplessly heard the pulse and beeping gradually slow down until the thumping stopped and he heard a steady "beeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppppp" sound--an indication of a "flat-line" heartbeat. Then, a voice announced over the loudspeaker, "Code Blue. Room 241."

"She's gone! She's gone!" Otto screamed as the man nudged him through a door marked "Waiting Room." However, what awaited Otto was a black and floorless abyss. Suddenly, Otto lost his balance and began to fall down a bottomless pit.

Finally, Otto snapped out of the dream. He was very pale and his pajamas were soaked in sweat. Slowly, Otto got out of bed, changed his clothes, and then laid back down. He eventually cried himself back to sleep, realizing that the dream he had would be coming true in a little more than a day.

*********************

Twister's nightmare was a little different. 

*********************

Twister was seven years old and was playing inside his room when his mother entered. "Mi hijo, ¿dónde está Luna?" _(TRANSLATION: My son, where is Luna?)_.

For a second, the young Twister looked at his mother in confusion. Then she began to yell at him "Maurice, you mean you haven't seen our puppy?" The boy shrugged his shoulders. Mrs. Rodriguez then realized the inevitable: the dog had escaped from the backyard, where it had been an hour earlier. The boys obviously hadn't checked on the young dog as she had asked. 

In response, Mrs. Rodriguez dragged Twister out of his room and in to the kitchen. She called the police to report the lost dog and then called her husband at work, who arrived a few minutes later. After yelling at Twister and Lars for neglecting their responsibility for the dog, he went to the family computer. Several minutes later he emerged with a stack of fliers. "Let's go, boys" he ordered.

They walked up and down the streets of Ocean Shores, yelling "Luna, ven aquí!"_ (TRANSLATION: Come here)_. After about an hour, Mr. Rodriguez handed his boys a roll of tape each and several fliers. "OK, since you lost her, you guys get to help find her. Put these posters up. If you're lucky, someone will find her!"

Twister curiously looked at the poster. There was something familiar about the dog, especially its face. The eyes, hair, nose, and mouth reminded Twister of something...or someone. Then it hit him: they were the exact same facial features Reggie had. Twister gasped as reality set in. Somehow, his dog was Reggie.

After the three had placed all their posters in shop windows and on telephone poles, they met together by the Pier. All of a sudden, Mr. Rodriguez's cell phone rang. It was his wife. She had good news and bad news. The good news: the police had called and said they found the dog. The bad news: it had been hit by a car near City Hall. Upon hearing this, Mr. Rodriguez grabbed the two boys and they ran toward the accident scene.

The driver of the car had had no time to react to the small dog that quickly darted out in front of his car. He was very upset about what had happened. The dog had sailed about 40 feet in the air and landed on the sidewalk. The dog tried to get up but couldn't--the pain was too great and her legs were broken.

When Raul Rodriguez and his sons arrived at the scene, Lars and Twister burst in to tears as they knelt beside their injured friend. A nearby vet had been called to the scene to examine the dog. Upon examination, he determined that the dog would never function normally again. The best option was to put it to sleep. He gave his findings to Raul, who broke the news to the boys. They were heartbroken. The best bet was to euthanize the dog on the spot to minimize her pain. Before that happened, however, the boys got a chance to say goodbye. Twister knelt down to the dog and stared at her face with tears in his eyes. There was no doubt about it: he saw Reggie in the dog's face. He put his face next to hers, allowing her to lick his face one last time. Finally, the doctor began to administer the final injections. The boys watched sadly as the dog's labored breathing and movements eventually ceased. When the dog ceased to breathe anymore, Twister burst in to nonstop tears. As the vet carried the lifeless animal away, Twister cried out "Come back!" and then fell back in to reality, finding himself in his own bed.

Twister's initial response was "I had a puppy?" A few minutes later, his sluggish memory kicked in and he realized that some of that had, in fact, actually happened many years ago. While his dog wasn't hit by a car, he did lose his family's puppy. Like Luna, Twister was about to lose Reggie in a matter of hours.. Like Otto, Twister had a hard time falling back asleep, as his mind filled with memories about Reggie. No matter how much he tried to clear those thoughts from his head, anything he thought about led to Reggie.

********************** 

Around 9:30 that morning, Sam called both Otto and Twister, requesting their immediate presence in his room. He had been up for several hours, waiting for the right moment to call both of them--after all, he didn't want to wake them up, as he knew they would be upset if he did. As soon as they were ready, both arrived at Sam's front door about the same time.

"What's up, Squid?" Twister asked as he yawned. Obviously he had not gotten much sleep.

"Better make this quick. We're going out with Reggie today, since this is the last day we will ever see her again," Otto added.

"Actually, this is about Reggie. I was thinking last night, and well, I analyzed her condition using the best medical databases on the Internet. I determined that Reggie is suffering from an acute and recurring case of strep throat and..."

As he was talking, Otto cut him off, sounding impatient: "English, please, Dr. Squid!"

"Otto, your sister isn't dying. In fact, she's only going to the hospital tomorrow to have her tonsils taken out."

Otto and Twister stared at each other in disbelief for a second. Suddenly, Otto snapped, "I don't believe you. I think you're just denying the obvious"

Twister furthered his best friend's argument: "Yeah. What about all that stuff Reggie was saying about being put to sleep? She confirmed it when we asked!"

Sam tried to explain the surgical procedure to them, but both refused. "I'm not listening. I'm not listening. I'm not listening," Otto yelled as Sam was trying to talk.

"Well, if you don't think she's dying, then you don't have to come with us today, since she'll be 'all right' tomorrow!" Twister exclaimed sarcastically. With that, he and Otto stormed out of the house.

Sam sighed and returned to his room. He decided that he wouldn't join them as he didn't want to bother Reggie at the time. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he thought to himself. Then an idea popped in to his head. If he didn't tell Reggie about Otto and Twister's false assumptions until the next day, they could turn this in to a little game. As he thought about his plans, he decided to take a walk down to the local supermarket. He wanted to surprise Reggie after her surgery.

***********************

Later that evening, Reggie, Twister, and Otto returned to the Rockets' house. They had just finished an exciting day of skating and surfing. When Reggie initially asked why Sammy wasn't joining them, Otto and Twister quickly fabricated the excuse that his mom made him go with her to Santa Monica to buy clothes. They didn't want to tell Reggie that Sam was in denial, and, thankfully, Reggie bought their story.

Twister and Reggie were sitting out on the deck and admiring the stars while Otto was upstairs searching for a board game for them to play. Twister looked at Reggie sadly, thinking that this would be the last time he would ever see her. He had known her forever and, surprisingly, as he grew, he felt strangely close to her. Sure, she was like a surrogate sister to him since they hung out so much, but he felt like there was an even stronger bond between them, one he could not explain.

"This is pretty cool, huh, Reg?" Twister inquired. Reggie nodded her head. He then continued, "Are you thinking about tomorrow?" Again, she nodded her head as he responded, "I want to let you know that you are one of the strongest people I know, but that in this situation, I think it's OK to be scared." Reggie turned toward him and smiled.

Without thinking, Twister removed the shark-tooth necklace that he had always worn and handed it to Reggie. "Here, Reg. This has always been special to me. I want you to wear this tomorrow so you know that we'll always be friends no matter what."

Reggie managed to respond, "Thanks Twist, but I don't know if they'll let me wear this tomorrow," as she attempted to hand it back to Twister. However, he pushed her hand away: "No, I insist. Hold on to it."

Again, Reggie smiled, leaning over to Twister and giving him a firm hug. Twister felt very good for two reasons: one, he was being hugged by a girl; two, he had just done something to ease the emotional trauma of someone who had been suffering.

After playing the board game, Ray came out to the deck. He said that Reggie should get some sleep since the next day would be long for her. Twister and Reggie hugged one last time as he left. As he closed the door, nobody noticed his subtle sniffling sounds and the tears forming in his eyes. In fact, one could find the same expression from Otto as he was saying "Good night" to his sister. As he tried to fall asleep a song on the radio made him wish that he was the one dying instead of his sister.

_I want to lay you on a bed of roses  
For tonight I sleep on a bed on nails  
I want to be just as close as the holy ghost is  
And lay you down on bed of roses_

--------------------------

Sorry this chapter was so pessimistic (not to mention weird), but I thought the nightmares would add something to the story.

Only a few more chapters to go. If I don't finish another one in time, Happy New Year :)  



	7. Going Under

**Chapter 7 - Going Under**

A/N: What happens to Reggie is based on my experiences with wisdom tooth removal (except for the teddy bear stuff--I read that in a newsletter from the local Children's Hospital).

-------------------------

"This is KYSR FM, Los Angeles, Star 98.7-Today's Best Music. It's 5:45AM on this warm Saturday morning. In the next hour, we'll be playing hits from Bon Jovi, the Goo Goo Dolls, Outkast, and the latest from Evanescence. It's all coming up right here."

Sam turned and looked at his alarm clock. Yep, this was it. Time to get up so he could accompany Reggie to the hospital. Still a bit groggy, he hit the off button on his clock radio and slowly walked to the bathroom, groaning and rubbing his eyes along the way.

*******************

Meanwhile, Reggie was also up. She was as tired as Sam was, but Ray had made sure she got up and prepared herself for her surgery. Unfortunately, she was also hungry and couldn't do anything about it; the doctor said she couldn't eat anything after midnight. However, she was sure to take the pills that the surgeon had prescribed for her to take before the surgery. They were supposed to make her feel relaxed yet drowsy. She could note their effect a few minutes after she swallowed them. On the way out the door, Ray reminded her that she was allowed to take anything she wanted that would make her feel more comfortable. She felt like she was a little too old to have any objects of comfort, but she still held on to a bit of her inner child. Deciding it wouldn't hurt, she grabbed her teddy bear as she walked out the door. Supposedly, according to the doctor, whatever she took with her could go in to the operating room--teddy bears even got their own wrist ID tags. She didn't take much else though--the doctor also told her that she would be released that afternoon if all went well. She also remembered to take Twister's necklace, although she gave it to Ray for safekeeping.

As she and Ray were leaving the house, Sam was crossing the street and heading towards the Rockets' woody wagon.

"Hey Reg. How are you feeling?" he asked.

Reggie's fatigued groan was enough of an answer for him. He noticed her drowsy look and figured that the doctors had given her something to partially knock her out before she arrived.

"Don't worry. I've been in the hospital before. Asthma, broken legs, you name it. It's not scary. Besides, you're Rocket Girl. You'll do fine."

Reggie smiled back at him as they got in the car. Sam decided that this would be the best moment to tell Reggie about the events of the previous week.

"Uh, Reg, there's something I should tell you. You know when you and Ray were talking about your surgery the other day? Well, Otto didn't hear all of the conversation, and without the part he didn't hear, he thought that you--that you--I'm embarrassed to say--dying."

The d-word temporarily snapped Reggie out of her somewhat groggy state. "What!?" she exclaimed. Sam then proceeded to explain that he was skeptical and only went along with Otto and Twister until he was able to investigate and determine that she was having a tonsillectomy. He had tried to tell Otto and Twister, but they refused to believe him.

"That's my hard-headed brother for you," Reggie quietly explained. "I bet those two were the ones that told everyone---wait! They probably told them that I was dying. Good grief! Next thing you know they'll be planning a complete funeral service for me! We have to do something."

"Well, what can we do? Besides, you're in no position to help right now," Sam wondered.

"I've got an idea," Reggie replied as she began to whisper her idea in to Sam's ear. He agreed to began to implement the plan while she was in surgery and recovering.

*******************

When the three arrived at the hospital, they first went to the Registration desk to complete all the bureaucratic paperwork--biographical information, health history, insurance. Next, they went upstairs to meet the doctor. Ray had went out of his way to find a surgeon that had a good reputation in the area and that would be professional yet friendly. His search had not failed him. After asking Reggie if she had any more questions, he quickly gave her, Ray, and Sam a tour of the operating room and introduced her to the anesthesiologist. Finally, Ray and Sam briefly left while a nurse gave Reggie a gown to put on and then helped her in to the bed that she would be wheeled in to surgery in. Ray and Sam then entered, followed by the doctor.

The doctor handed her a Walkman with a pair of headphones. Reggie, somewhat surprised, accepted them. "Go ahead and tune in to your favorite radio station," he offered. Reggie happily complied. Now she wasn't as fearful as she had been. The music took her mind off her surroundings and the impending procedure. 

"Ready?"

Reggie nodded her head, then turned to her two visitors and asked, "I'm a little embarrassed to ask this, but will you two hold my hand right now?"

Her father answered, "Don't be. It's OK to be nervous. We're right here with you." Sam took Reggie's hand and squeezed it (she squeezed right back) while Ray kissed her forehead and stroked her purple hair.

The doctor then placed a rubber tube with laughing gas circulating through it on Reggie's nose. "OK, Reggie, breathe through your nose. You'll begin to feel lightheaded and sleepy."

Slowly, Reggie began to inhale the gas. The doctor was right; she began to feel funny and everything began to blur. The last thing she remembered was feeling a pinch in her left hand as the anesthesiologist inserted an IV containing a sedative.

The nurses then wheeled her out towards the operating room. Ray walked behind them, then turned a corner to find the waiting room. It wouldn't be too long, he knew, but he wanted to keep his mind off his daughter. Although unlikely, anything could happen to her while she was sedated.

On the other hand, Sam knew what he had to do. He told Ray he would go get Otto and Twister and would be back by the time Reggie was in recovery.

*******************

Meanwhile, Otto and Twister were sitting on the curb in the cul-de-sac, sadly staring at the sky. Both had tears in their eyes as they knew that the fateful hour had passed--the one in which Reggie would be taken from them.

"Where do you think she is, O-Man?" Twister inquired.

"Right now, I bet she's tearing it up in the clouds," mournfully replied Otto.

"When Raymundo gets back, can I talk to him? I wrote something to say during her funeral," Twister commented as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Otto. He could not believe what Twister had written. "Maybe all the kid needed to succeed was a little emotion," Otto thought as he read.

_When I was thinking about what to say about Reggie, I knew I could not just say "Good bye." After all, we had known each other since I was a little baby. I could always remember her cheery face and her wavy purple hair blowing in the breeze behind her. When we were introduced to skateboarding and surfing, I knew she was something special from the moment she strapped on a pair of roller blades or picked up her surfboard. No boy could outdo her without close competition, as she refused to take a back seat to anyone who thought she was incapable. Her strength shined as strong as ever in spite of the loss of her mother, whom she was very close to. I know that they have finally found each other again. It's sad that we have lost Reggie at such a young age, but in the sense that she has joined her mother, I feel happy for her. Reggie, I want you to know that you will always have a special place in my heart. I love you as if you were my own sister, and I swear that every Ollie and kick-flip I do, and every video I shoot from now on will be in your honor. So, until we meet again, don't get too much air up in the sky (Sorry about the joke)._

Otto was sad enough, but reading this eulogy caused him to lose it completely. Tears streamed down his face almost non-stop as he buried his face in Twister's shirt. Twister could do nothing but hold him. They just sat there until suddenly, Sam came running up the street.

"Squid, where's the fire?" Twister asked.

"Guys, it's Reggie. She wanted me to come up and get you guys right now."

Suddenly, Otto's tears stopped. "You mean she hasn't passed away yet?"

Sam quickly replied, "Not yet. Better hurry though. She's in a lot of pain. I better warn you though, you may not like..." Unfortunately, Sam could not finish his statement as Otto and Twister had jumped up, grabbed their boards, and had started down the street at a lightning-fast pace. All Sam could do was try to catch up to them. After all, he had to be with them so Reggie's plan would work.

-------------------------

OK. I finished this chapter pretty quickly. I'll be busy the next few days, so don't expect an update until next week.

Happy New Year :)


	8. Busted!

**Chapter 8 - Busted!**

A/N: There are only 2 chapters remaining, including this one.

---------------------

Otto, Twister, and Sam entered the hospital and proceeded to the registration desk. While Sam inquired as to Reggie's current location, Otto and Twister stayed behind. Nobody had ever seen them that nervous. Their faces were quite pale and they displayed expressions of anxiousness and fear; not fear for themselves, however, but fear for Reggie.

"Maybe they didn't put her out as quickly as they thought," Otto whispered to Twister.

"Or maybe we'll be staring at her lifeless body," Twister blurted out.

"Don't say that, Twist. I don't want to see my sister that way. I especially don't want to see her in her final moments!" Otto choked back tears as he tried to scold Twister for his suggestions.

"Maybe it's her ghost that wants to see us," Twister continued.

"TWISTER!" Otto yelled out loud.

"Guys? What's going on? This is a hospital, after all," Sam rebuked them as he returned from the desk. He had received good news from the receptionist but did not want to tell Otto and Twister (they were to find out soon--the hard way). Reggie's surgery had been a complete success. The tonsils had been removed rather quickly without any major complications. She was in the recovery room at that time, although the anesthesia had not worn off yet.

"Ready to go up?" Sam asked.

As if they were both being controlled by a remote, Otto and Twister gulped, then replied, "Ready."

*****************

The three boys finally arrived at Reggie's room. Sam went in while Otto and Twister hesitated outside. Both were scared as to what might be awaiting them just inside the doorway.

"You go first, Otto-man. You're her brother," Twister insisted.

"No, you go first. She'd be more surprised to see a friend come in," Otto retorted.

"I can't. I don't want to see her in this condition as much as--" Twister began to argue, but was cut off by a quick and high-pitched "Oh my gosh!!" coming from inside Reggie's room. Sam's shriek indicated that something was terribly wrong. The two rushed in to the room to see Sam by Reggie's bed, holding her hand.

"Guys, I admit it. I was in denial. I wanted her to be all right, so I found a less serious ailment and tried to convince you guys that nothing else was wrong with her. But you were right! She's cold, not responding, and I can't find a pulse! She must have passed away in the last few moments."

Otto and Twister looked at each other in shock. They had heard it would happen but had always had a little bit of hope that she wouldn't need to be put to sleep. Unfortunately, that last bit of hope disappeared when reality set in: Reggie was gone, forever. There was no heart monitor in the room and neither Otto or Twister knew how to take a pulse, so they assumed that Sam would be able to determine if she were alive. Both walked up to Reggie and touched her arm. It was colder than usual (even Sam had been surprised that she was a little cold) and they noticed no response to their contact. Tears rolled down both of their faces as they looked at their sister and friend. She looked so peaceful in sleep, but the personal pain was still too much. Otto leaned over the bed, embraced his sister, and kissed her on the cheek. Meanwhile, both Otto and Sam could hear Twister standing in a corner, mumbling something in Spanish between tears. They knew he was praying for her.

Suddenly, Sam noticed Reggie's eyelids begin to flutter. Otto had stepped back from the bed and hung his head low with his eyes closed. As a result, he did not notice what Sam had seen. Sam quickly jumped over to her arm and pretended to feel for a pulse. "You guys!" he exclaimed. "I don't believe this. I don't know how to explain this scientifically. I guess it's nothing short of a miracle, if you believe them. She's coming back to life!"

Otto and Twister were broken out of their trances and quickly ran over to her bed. Yep, Sam was right again. She moaned and shifted slightly. Finally, her eyes opened up. Although she looked confused, tired, and in pain, everyone was glad to see her.

"Rocket Girl!" Otto and Twister yelled.

"Guys?" Reggie said in a hoarse voice. She held her free hand to her throat and moaned. Obviously, it hurt too much to speak and probably would for several days. She then sluggishly reached for her pad of paper and pencil that Ray had left on the table beside the bed.

"Otto, I don't think she's out of the woods yet. Her voice sounds even worse right now. She must have been in a coma, meaning she was unconscious but not dead, yet. I think she's still dying," Sam hesitantly realized.

Those words sucked out the joy that Otto and Twister had just found. Their sad expressions and tears quickly returned.

Reggie slowly motioned at Otto and Twister with her hand. "I think she has something she wants you to know. Probably her last words to you guys," Sam interpreted.

Otto and Twister nervously approached her bed as she held a piece of paper folded in half. What did she want to say to them before she left the world? The suspense was unbearable. Otto snatched the sheet and opened it up. It was obvious that something was wrong; her handwriting was awful (although that was only due to the anesthesia). Otto struggled as he tried to read the note out loud so that Twister could hear (although he was right beside Otto also trying to decipher her handwriting).

_I am not dying, you nitwits!_

"What!?" Otto and Twister shouted at the same time. Otto continued, shocked yet angry, "What do you mean she's not dying? Then what's going on!?"

Sam explained, "I tried to tell you. She had tonsillitis and they just removed her tonsils today. They had to give her anesthesia so she wouldn't feel any pain. In no time, she'll be her normal self." Then changing his mood to playful, he exclaimed "Bust! We got you guys." Reggie's attempted (yet painful) smile confirmed it: their imaginations had driven them nuts and Sam and Reggie had taken advantage of the truth.

"I can't believe you tricked us like that!" Twister exclaimed.

"Yeah," Otto added, "that was really low. You really had us believing that she was dying."

Sam quickly countered for Reggie, knowing that she would want him to speak for her. "Well, from what Reg and I know, there are many more people that are thinking the same thing right now, and we sure didn't tell them. That's right, she knows that you told her friends, as good as your intentions were." Otto glanced at Reggie and noted her "I'm going to get you for that" expression on her face.

"OK. Twist and I...we're...sorry that we got so carried away. I guess we should have asked more specifically so we would know the truth"

"Yeah, what Otto said," Twister blurted out. Now that his emotions weren't carrying him, he was back to his old self. He definitely couldn't have said anything like Otto had, so he remained quiet while Otto spoke.

"Don't worry, sis. We'll take the heat for what we said and we'll make sure everyone knows the truth."

Sam, again acting as Reggie's representative, thought for a second. "Uh......OK. We forgive you."

*****************

A few hours later, the doctor cleared Reggie for discharge from the hospital. She could go home to recover. As she was still a bit wobbly, Ray and Twister held her up as they walked to the car. When they returned home, Ray helped her in to the recliner he had placed in the living room near the TV and placed several pillows under her neck (in order to minimize swelling). As she settled in, Sam walked to the kitchen, opened up the freezer, and returned to the living room with a small package behind his back.

"Hey, Reggie. I wanted to tell you how glad I am that this will all be over. I thought this might cheer you up and soothe the pain in your mouth." He moved his hand from behind his back to reveal his surprise: a quart of Haagen-Daas ice cream. He knew how good the stuff was. It was expensive, but he felt that price shouldn't be an issue for his best friend, especially after all she had been through in the past week. He brought a spoon with him, implying that the whole quart was for her.

"Ah, no fair," Twister exclaimed. "I want to have my tonsils out, too!" With that comment, Otto and Sam laughed and Reggie smiled.

"Don't worry, guys, I have us covered." Ray interjected as he emerged with four bowls of ice cream. They all sat down around Reggie while Ray popped in a DVD for all of them to watch. The movie was great and Reggie was glad that her family and closest friends were by her side as she recovered, but the anesthesia and pain medicine had made her drowsy. Consequently, she fell asleep during the show. Deciding not to disturb her, Ray and Otto covered her with a blanket and changed the ice pack on her neck. Before going to bed, both kissed her goodnight. 

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The last chapter will be an epilogue--sort of a status update a few weeks after her surgery. I can't comment on the length as I have very few things I need to put in the next chapter, so it may be short or it may not be.


	9. Back to Good

**Chapter 9 - Back to Good**

A/N: Thanks to "salsipuedes" for the suggestions regarding Ray's conversation with Otto.

Since this is the last chapter, I reset the story description on the main page to what it originally was.

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Two weeks had passed since Reggie's surgery. Initially, Reggie was instructed to stay indoors in order to minimize her exposure to germs that could lead to infection. Such orders, to Reggie, were like confining a dog to a cage. She hated being cooped up in the house and yearned to get back on her feet, skating and surfing with her friends. She was still in pain, but unlike the pain of the sore throats, this pain was to go away. The doctor had prescribed pain medications, but the narcotics caused her to become nauseated, sending her running to the bathroom several times.

Thankfully, Otto, Twister, and Sam stayed around the neighborhood while Reggie was recovering. They would play board games, watch TV or movies, or use Twister's Playstation 2. Sure, they wanted to be out tearing up Madtown as much as Reggie did, but they felt it would only be fair if they stayed. Besides, Otto was worried that Reggie would become so bored that she would go crazy and start bothering him when he was at home. In addition, it was the least that Otto and Twister could do after the huge mix-up that had haunted their lives the previous week.

Speaking of the whole misunderstanding, Otto and Twister had a rather large mess to take care of. Although they did not deliberately falsify their reports to Reggie's friends, they had no idea how they would treat the two boys after being put through so much emotional distress. The thoughts of the reactions of Trish, Sherry, and Trent, in particular, made them wonder if they would ever be allowed to see the light of day again. While they knew they had to tell the truth, they wanted the advice and support of someone they could trust. Otto agreed to tell his dad what had happened.

"You WHAT!?" blurted Ray, somewhat shocked. He had not heard Reggie and Sam's conversation in the car and was still completely unaware of the previous week's events.

Otto quickly defended his actions, fearing that his father's anger was flaring up. "I know it's kind of crazy. But it was an honest mistake. Twister and I were truly fearing for Reggie's life. We thought this was the end for her, and we wanted to make sure that if it was, her final days would be comfortable and happy in the company of her friends. I know Sam tried to tell us the truth, but we were too focused to even consider what he had said."

Ray thought for a few moments. Otto was right; he and Twister meant no harm. On the other hand, this was not the first time that either of them had jumped to conclusions rashly. There was the time that they thought Twister was being evicted from his house and being sent to live with his Aunt Cleotilda. Of course, nobody could forget the time they thought Tito had murdered Ray at the Shore Shack and had taken matters in to their own hands, locking Tito in the walk-in freezer and calling in the local SWAT team. Their rashness had gotten them in enough trouble. Ray was in a dilemma; should he scold Otto for his mistakes or should he take a calmer approach? He decided that with the topic of death, especially in light of what had happened to Otto and Reggie's mother, he decided that discipline wasn't the answer.

"So, Dad, are you going to ground me?" Otto asked shamefully.

"No, Otto. What you did was indeed unintentional. Not knowing what's going on can be scary, and time and again, it's caused people to do all sorts of weird things. From what I've been able to piece together, I can understand that you and Twister were genuinely frightened for Reggie. Given what little you knew, it's becoming easier for me to understand. Even in your error, Reggie tells me that you guys were very kind and thoughtful about this whole thing. In that sense, you guys did a great thing for her. What concerns me, however, was how quickly you guys acted. You took what you heard from the staircase as being the whole truth, and didn't come down to completely confirm what you had heard. Now that I think of it, you did ask something after that, but it implied that you already knew the actual truth."

"You're right, Raymundo. I should have asked. I guess my emotions took over at that point. That's my fault, and I'm sorry about that."   
  
Ray drew a breath. He scratched Otto's head, then gently picked him up and sat him down on the counter so they could look each other in the eyes. "Otto, in a sense, this whole thing was my fault. For my part, in all my haste to see that Reggie was properly taken care of, I should have been more forthcoming with you," Ray apologized. "It turns out you _are_ big enough to handle the truth after all; so if ever you find there's anything serious going on in your life - or that of anyone close to you - that confuses you or scares you, I want you - no, I _order_ you, to ask me about it, and when you do, I promise to give you an honest answer to the best of my knowledge."  
  
"That I will, Dad," promised Otto as he gave Ray a squeeze. "I love my sister to pieces, and I don't know what I'd do without her..."

"I know you do. I don't know what I'd do without either of you guys," Ray replied as he returned Otto's hug. "Now, you said that you had told a bunch of her friends that she was going to die. Since you're not a kid anymore, I'm going to leave that part up to you."

"Don't worry, Dad. I know I've got to tell them the truth. In addition, I've got an idea to help make it up to everybody, but I'll need your help." With that, Otto whispered his idea in to Ray's ear.

*****************

Otto, feeling incredibly guilty, called everybody that he and Twister had misinformed. The responses were what he expected, and what he didn't:

When Otto told Cleo the news, she promptly replied, "What?" After groaning in anger and frustration, she continued to scold her cousin (who wasn't there to hear a word of it): "Wait until I get my hands on that Maurice! He shouldn't be blurting out stuff like that. Who knows what he'll do to himself in the future."

Trish and Sherry were not happy in the least, either. After all, Reggie was a close friend. They were quite scared when they heard the news and weren't happy that Otto and Twister had "cried wolf." Despite Otto's sincere apology and explanation, he definitely didn't want to be around the next time the three girls got together; at least without Reggie in a good mood or with Raymundo around.

The boys, however, took the news much more lightly. Kioni, although he was a little upset, assured Otto that he "could never be angry at his _ohana_." At least Reggie was OK; that's all that mattered to him.

Otto expected Trent to completely turn against him. After all, he and Reggie seemed to possess some romantic attraction. Surprisingly, he responded, "That's OK, mate. The important thing is that Reggie is doing well."

*****************

With the truth out, Reggie's friends began to visit her quite frequently. If they had learned anything from this whole ordeal, it was that life should be treasured and enjoyed because it would not last forever. Trish and Sherry came by and brought her some familiar company, "girl" conversation, and smoothies. Trent came by one night with a movie and his favorite dessert from New Zealand: pavlova _(A/N: pavlova is similar to American "angel food" cake; it's a fat-free meringue that goes well with just about anything from fruit to ice cream)_, topped with fresh tropical fruit and whipped cream. It was the best food she had eaten in weeks, especially since her diet had been limited to mashed potatoes, luke-warm soup, ice cream, and other soft foods. In fact, it was one of the best desserts she had ever tasted, especially with the tropical fruit. They sat down and watched the DVD. Trent pulled up a chair right beside Reggie's recliner, and he placed his arm around her while she rested her still somewhat-swollen neck on his arm. At that moment--with the food, the movie, and the wonderful boy who had brought them, she felt like she really was in heaven.

While Cleo and Kioni were too far away to visit immediately, they made plans to come down as soon as possible. After all, it was summer, and both had family to visit anyway in Ocean Shores. Otto helped them plan the right time to visit, making sure that Reggie was unaware of the plans.

Finally, after a brief checkup, Reggie was given the green light to resume her normal activities. That afternoon, she changed in to her surf attire, grabbed her board, and headed for the beach. Otto, Twister, and Sam were to meet her down there; they had something to take care of beforehand and would meet her at the Shore Shack.

When Reggie arrived, the metal doors to the Shack were closed and locked. Wondering what was going on, she proceeded to the back door, opened it, and walked to the front. She could not believe what she saw.

"SURPRISE!"

Standing in front of her were Ray, Tito, the three boys, Trent, Trish, Sherry, and even Kioni and Cleo. There was food abound, tropical music playing through the sound system, and a line of boards against one of the metal doors, waiting to be used.

"This party is for_ me_? But why?"

Ray walked up to his daughter, placing his arm around her. "Because, Rocket Girl, we're glad that you've recovered so well, and we're proud of you for how you remained strong."

Then, another male voice cut in. "But most of all, we're glad that you're here with us, because we all think you're one cool girl." Yes, it was the unmistakable voice of Reggie's little brother.

A humbled Reggie replied, "Thanks guys."

Cleo smiled and spoke for the group, "Don't thank us. Thank your brother. He organized all of this."

Reggie walked up to Otto, and hugging him, said, "Little brother, you're the best."

"No problemo, sis," Otto assured her, returning the hug.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Kioni shouted, causing Otto and Reggie to pull apart and look at him. "Let's hit the waves!"

Everybody cheered as they grabbed their boards, raised up one of the doors, and ran out to the beach. That night, the biggest "party wave" ever to be seen in Ocean Shores was formed. From that day forth, nobody could ever beat, in size or in enthusiasm, the "Reggie Rocket party wave." _ (A/N: The huge party wave in "Spot Remover" happened in the Secret Spot, which is outside of Ocean Shores, so it doesn't count in comparison)_.

"Uh, Reggie, can I have my necklace back?" a timid Twister asked.

Reggie rolled her eyes and shook her head. Everything was back to normal. Not much had changed. "Twister!" she exclaimed.

  
_Fin _(THE END)

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Hope you enjoyed this story.

I might revive another Nick.com story, but that may not be for a while. Boy has time flown. It's back to school I go (on Sunday at least).

Later...much :)


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